Letting Go
by WatchThisNaxxSpace
Summary: You can't change the past, no matter how much we hope. F!RobinXStahl oneshot.


**Over the time I spent reading the numerous Fanfiction works on Fire Emblem, I have come to enjoy the F!RobinXStahl pairings.**

**Feel free to R&R, and let me know what you think.**

* * *

Exalt Emmeryn was dead. That much was certain.

She wasn't just the ruler of the Halidom of Ylisse and the sister to Chrom and Lissa. She was a beacon of hope; a symbol of the peace that she would have brought about. It was unthinkable to even imagine that the only testament to her unwavering will was her broken corpse on the Plegian Castle's grounds.

Yet, there it was. Amid around the Risen archers, was her body.

The rescue of Emmeryn was just within the Shepherds' grasp, only to be yanked away by the impossible when the Plegian's tactician Aversa summoned an entire regiment of Risen.

In a blink of an eye, the pegasus knights that were meant to rescue the queen were slaughtered by the rain of arrows that followed. Cackling at the spectacle, the Mad King Gangrel issued a dark ultimatum to the Crown Prince: give up the Emblem, or sacrifice his sister.

Faced with the greater evils, the Shepherds could only watch in horror as the Exalt chose for Chrom by throwing herself off the edge.

Dragged away by the two Khans, Chrom and his Shepherds fled from the Plegian capital, the cackling laughter of the Mad King haunting their ears.

* * *

One week has gone by since the Exalt's passing.

In the cold confines of Regna Ferox, the Shepherds that weren't injured from the previous encounter with the Plegian army were planning their next move. However, the war meetings have been missing a person of utmost importance.

Robin hasn't come out of her room since they had come back from Plegia.

In the first few days, many had passed it off as either fatigue or shock from the recent events. However, an entire week came and gone with no sign of the Shepherds' beloved tactician. Knocking on her door would not produce an answer, and the empty food dishes that were left outside her room were the only indicators of life inside.

"This isn't a smart idea, Green."

Worried about Robin, Stahl enlisted the help of a rather reluctant Gaius to embark on a most dangerous task: breaking in the tactician's room.

"I'm deeply concerned about her," the green horseman whispered. "If getting an answer from her means breaking the lock on her door, then so be it."

"Fine, but my job's done once I unlock this door," Gaius muttered back, grumbling incoherently to himself as he whipped out his toolkit and began inserting delicate instruments into the lock.

"Aren't you worried about her?"

"Yes, but you're not the one breaking into a room which belongs to the second most powerful person in our ragtag team of vigilantes."

Stahl was about to shoot back, when a small clicking sound indicated that the break-in attempt was a success.

"Done," Gaius smirked, holding the door ajar for Stahl to walk through. "All yours, Green."

Shooting the ginger thief a look of distaste, Stahl gingerly stepped through the gap, peering around as he took in the state of the room.

* * *

The entire contents of Robin's room could only be described as a warzone. Piles of tactic books taken up the majority of the room, precariously wobbling. Torn pages littered the stone floor, some of them having stains on them. A large table dominated the center of the room, a large diorama on top of it.

Looking closer, he held his breaths as they realized that the miniature structures closely resembled Plegian Castle. Tiny figures were present on the small replica, some of them easily recognizable as fellow Shepherds and Plegian soldiers.

Stahl's heart almost skipped a beat when he recognized the late Exalt Emmeryn as one of the figures; perched atop the very ledge they had seen her jump off from that day.

"I couldn't save her."

Jumping at the sudden noise, Stahl quickly located Robin sitting quietly in a corner, her auburn hair plastered on her face.

"Robin, what are you talking about?" he asked, kneeling down to meet her face to face.

"Emmeryn. I couldn't save her no matter what I do," she whimpered, hugging her knees closer to her body and rocking slightly.

"Is this what you have been doing all this time?" Stahl whispered, gesturing towards the diorama on the war table. "Running stimulations to see whether or not you could save her?"

"…Yes."

Stahl studied her for a while, unable to say anything. Robin truly looked like a dying man, one who was staring right in the jaws of death.

_She must really blame herself,_ he thought bitterly.

Grabbing her by her shoulders, Stahl pulled Robin into a tight embrace, startling her out of her state.

"What are you doing?" she breathed.

"Looking after a dear friend," was his reply. "It wasn't your fault."

At this, Robin started shaking within his grasp, haggard sobs filling the rooms.

"I-it was. T-thanks to my stupid plan, Chrom and L-lissa no longer have a sister," she stuttered between sobs. "Ylisse no longer has their queen thanks to me. I don't d-deserve any of this. Just l-leave me alone."

"No, I won't."

"Bu –"

"I said no, Robin," Stahl declared, hugging her tighter. "It wasn't your fault. If anything, it was the dastard of a king that Plegia has the sorry luck of having that caused Emm's death and that witch."

"I know that what you're going through right now must be terrible," he continued, feeling her heart beat near his chest. "But you need to stop focusing on the past."

"How can you say that?" Robin wailed. "She's –"

"Emmeryn's dead, and nothing that we do now will bring her back. But what we can do is make sure that people like Gangrel never hurt anyone again."

"Everyone's worried about you, Robin. I care deeply for you, and seeing you like this makes me feel horrible," he admitted, pushing Robin slightly from him and staring into her eyes. "But… you need to let go."

"Cry on me, if you have to. Let your feelings go."

Robin stared back at him, before grabbing him and started sobbing earnestly in the nape between his neck and shoulder blade.

For a long time, they stayed in that position, Robin crying on him, while Stahl hummed softly while rubbing her back.

_I won't allow you to think so lowly of yourself ever again, Robin,_ Stahl thought darkly to himself.

_Gangrel will pay, and not just for the murder of the Exalt._

_I'll make sure he no longer makes you cry ever again._


End file.
